NEW YORK, NY – Last month, police found the body of 51-year-old Orsolya Gaal stuffed in a hockey sports bag and dumped on Metropolitan Avenue. Today, the man suspected of that murder was indicted by a grand jury.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said David Bonola, 44, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on murder and other charges for the killing of 51-year-old Orsolya Gaal. Mrs. Gaal’s body was discovered in a hockey sports bag on Metropolitan Avenue near Union Turnpike on Saturday, April 16, 2022.
District Attorney Katz said, “This heinous murder left two teenagers without a mother and terrified an entire community. As alleged, this defendant brutally stabbed the victim over 50 times before stuffing her body into a duffel bag – which he then dragged for several blocks in an attempt to dispose of the victim’s remains. The defendant has now been indicted and arraigned on very serious charges and faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.”
According to the Queens District Attorneys Office, Bonola, of 114th Street in South Richmond Hill, Queens, was arraigned today on a 13-count indictment before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise charging him with two counts of murder in the second degree, two counts of burglary in the first degree, concealment of a human corpse, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Justice Aloise ordered the defendant to return to court on July 7, 2022. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years-to-life in prison.
“According to the charges, on Saturday, April 16th, Mrs. Gaal returned to her home located on Juno Street in Forest Hills, Queens, after an evening out around 12:30 a.m. Bonola, who was a handyman and had done work at Gaal’s home on and off for the last two years came to the victim’s home a few minutes later. He entered the residence and the two engaged in a verbal argument. The argument escalated to Bonola allegedly slashing the woman’s throat and stabbing her more than 50 times,” the D.A.’s office said in a statement. “The defendant retrieved a hockey duffel bag belonging to one of the victim’s sons and stuffed the woman’s bloody body inside and is allegedly seen on video surveillance from a nearby home rolling the duffel bag through the quiet neighborhood.”
The following was announced by D.A. Katz:
According to the charges, the duffel bag was later discovered near Forest Park at Metropolitan Avenue and Union Turnpike around 8 a.m., Saturday. Inside were the remains of the married mother of two. Police followed a trail of blood from the bag to the crime scene – the Juno Street home of Gaal.
During the investigation, said the DA, police recovered a knife – the alleged murder weapon – which was hidden in the victim’s home, as well as the defendant’s jacket inside Forest Park.
Days later, the defendant offered to speak to police and during questioning allegedly made incriminating statements. He revealed that some time on Saturday he went to a New York City hospital for a cut on his hand. He also stated in sum and substance that he and the victim argued, and he allegedly confessed to stabbing her and moving her body.
The investigation was conducted by Detectives John Petzolt and Todd Keyes of the New York City Police Department’s 112th Precinct and Detectives Carmine Caruso and Joe Bey of the NYPD’s Queens North Homicide Squad.